I MADE IT!
3,1536,000 seconds, 525,600 minutes, 8760 hours, 365 days, all equal to a year and that's how long I've been blogging!!! AND I've done it EVERY SINGLE DAY-not an easy task. I will admit there are days I took the easy route instead of coming up with something authentic but hey life is busy;-) I don't know if there's something I've ever done everyday for a year......(besides the normal life stuff like sleeping, dressing and eating). This may be a first!It's amazing to look back to where I was last year at this time, so much has changed. A year seems long when you're looking ahead but when you look back it flies. Last May I was living at my parents since Nathan and I were still trying to figure out what we were doing. (We had left Florida in March after our job fell though). Nathan had found a job but I was still looking. I started attending church and bible study with my sister. This blog began because I was lost and trying to keep my spirits up while trying to figure my life out. I finally got a job in July, serving (which is the last thing I wanted, but still thankful for it) and then we moved out in August/September and living next door to my sister and her family. In November Nathan and I celebrated our 1st anniversary. Holidays came and went and in February I got promoted to Front of the House Manager. Now here we are in May.
Doing this blog I learned more about who I am and what I'm passionate about. I didn't know this stuff last year. God has been working on my heart and showing me my desires. I've found that my heart bleeds for those who live in poverty and struggle daily to find clean water and food to eat. I'm blessed beyond belief here in the U.S. with so much to be thankful for. I'm by no means rich with money but I'm rich in love. For the last three years before I settled back in Lima I was traveling and didn't get to see my family much so being home with them is awesome. To see my nephew growing up and getting smarter everyday is such a gift and amazing thing to see. Finding a church where you're supported and encouraged is fabulous. I don't know what I'd do without the love from my church family.
For the last year I've been reading about life in 3rd world countries and it breaks my heart. The love and concern and compassion I experience daily in the U.S. is 100x's better than they do in developing countries. As women in the U.S. we have so many more rights. Life for women around the world is extremely hard.
- they walk miles one way to fetch water that isn't even clean
- can only feed their children one meal a day
- don't have the opportunity to get an education
- are illiterate due to no education
- have to ask permission to leave their home
- the sons rule over their moms and sisters
- don't get to talk or have an opinion
- have no prenatal care/don't give birth in a hospital
- girls are not taken to a doctor when sick, only boys
- are married off at a young age and having babies while they are still babies
- are beaten and raped by their husbands and families
- are raped as a form of warfare
- are kidnapped or sold into brothels-sometimes by family members
- old women are left outside their village to die
In the last year I've become more aware of my spending. I try to support organizations like Tom's Shoes, 31 Bits, World Vision, Convoy of Hope, CommonThreadz, or families adopting overseas. If I'm going to be spending money I'd like it to help people, not just supply my need or want. For my best friends birthday I gave her a list of organizations like these and told her to pick something. She picked shoes from Tom's Shoes, maybe you could do the same thing next time you need a gift instead of going to the mall?
Since 2007 I've sponsored a child through World Vision but I did it before I was married. Nathan and I have been blessed with the finances to help another child so we are now sponsoring a girl from Armenia together and then I still sponsor Bless from Malawi. Child sponsorship through World Vision is a wonderful way to give a child, their family and the community hope and a future. It's only $35/month and it makes such an impact. If this is something that touches your heart check out http://www.worldvision.org/
Most people make resolutions at the beginning of the year but how many keep them? I know I don't. But this year I heard about My One Word http://myoneword.org/ . Instead of making resolutions, you pick one word and that is what you focus on all year. My word was INSPIRE. I'm working on inspiring others and myself, to do better and be better. It's always bummed me out people who think they can't ever reach their dreams or that they have nothing to offer anyone or the world or that they are just "average." I want people to know that none of that is true, far from the truth! It doesn't matter where you come from, you CAN make a difference and be the person you want. It may not be easy but nothing in life worthwhile is easy.
When I started this blog I wasn't sure if I wanted to talk too much about Christianity and God because I didn't want to turn anyone away that didn't believe. But I soon realized that being a Christian is who I am and that my hope and encouragement comes from Jesus. He is my rock and I need Him! If I didn't have Jesus, I wouldn't have anything. Plus I can't NOT talk about all he has done for me.
This last year started out rough but has been an amazing journey. I can't wait to see what will happen in this next year!
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